Heidts' Pro-G Front And Rear Suspension - Bottoms Up

With A Little Know-How And A Free Weekend, Heidts' Pro-G Front And Rear Suspension For The Second-Gen Camaro Installs With Ease.

When we saw how well the new second-gen Camaro suspension parts from Heidts Hot Rod & Muscle Car Parts worked at the Super Chevy Suspension & Handling Challenge last August (January '09 issue), we were anxious to see how they installed. To that end, we went over to Route 66 Motorsports in New Lenox, Illinois, where we met with Marc Prince (the owner of Heidts) and got crackin' on the front and rear bolt-in suspension from Heidts on a '71 Camaro. Route 66 purchased the car on eBay and was using it to develop its line of ProRide Performance Cars (available direct and coming soon).

I know it's going to sound far-fetched, but if you know your Camaro better than the back of your hand, you can install the Heidts front and rear suspensions after the five o'clock bell and before a case of the Mondays. OK, maybe you'll want to give yourself a holiday weekend just to make sure. It's amazing what you can accomplish when bolts actually line up on the first shot, aftermarket parts mate properly with 1970s-era spring buckets, and instructions are written well.

Said editor Jim Campisano after driving the Heidts test mule Camaro, "The Heidts engineers did their homework. The suspension was smooth and compliant. The car turned in fantastic numbers at the track, but was comfortable on the street."

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The rear suspension kit converts the multi-leaf spring setup of yesteryear into a four-link utilizing a 100 percent bolt-in assembly. It consists of a bolt-in top crossmember, four-link bars, Panhard bar, and adjustable coilover shocks for the absolute best in performance.

Heidts allows you to package your suspension components any way you wish to meet your needs. Let's say you want to utilize your 12-bolt or 9-inch from another project; you can order your kit to match. Other options include polished stainless four-links, chrome coilover, and axle housings empty or full with the gear ratio of your choice. Great concept.

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Up front, the performance continues with Heidts Pro-G bolt-in front subframe, complete with tubular control arms, power rack-and-pinion steering, 2-inch drop spindles, and enough options to make your head spin. Our install used polished stainless steel control arms, chrome steering rack, 13-inch Wilwood slotted brakes, and polished coilovers. The best part of the Heidts front suspension is the ease of installation. With the nose off the car and radiator support out of the way, the four body mount bolts are all that holds everything together. A floor jack, two jack stands, and help from a buddy gets you up on your feet and running.

When we were done working at Route 66, I could not believe how far we had come. The first day I came into town, we tore out the old suspension and by the end of the second day, we were a few brake lines away from being completely finished with the suspension overhaul. Follow along as we show you the simplicity and ease of installation of the Heidts front and rear suspension kit for the second-generation Camaro.

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